Toast to Diplomacy
Shocking. That was the only way to describe the events that had transpired during the Magic Knight Exams, or at least during its latest parts. The King himself had revealed Marco's status as a bastard, no, the legitimate heir to the Crownsguard that protected him, while Lea was stripped off this privilege and would only be able to recover it through a showing of skill, one year from now. And although all this new information surprised Tiana, what was more upsetting was the fact that she had never felt...so...invisible. It was almost as if she hadn't been there and it reminded her of the many times others wouldn't accept her as a member of House Kira. Having recovered slightly from the initial shock, Tiana stood right outside of the coliseum's main entrance, as per instructions of her Captain, who remained inside as per request of the King. Truthfully, she had chosen the Blue Rose to even her own surprise. It was so...unfitting to say the least. There was something about the squad that drew her to it. When she stared at Elizabeth's eyes, she could sense courage and diligence, two attributes that she was drawn too. There was also the fact that the woman was a complete badass, if she did say so herself. Tiana crossed her arms as she looked at the floor, her mind pondering off. She had a lot of questions for her father, but those would have to wait. "Right now I should focus solely on myself, I'll have time to talk to him later." she thought, pushing the issue to the back of her mind. Elizabeth took a deep breath, steadying herself after the debacle. All things considered, she had been focused on a) her daughter making a MK squad (much to Liz's joy and worry) and b) landing a new recruit of her own in Tiana. Then the shitstorm with House Kira ensued; Lea choosing the Black Bulls of all squads, a bastard revealed and then made full heir, a fight for the heirship, and then one of her fellow Captains being suspended for giving the king sass. Though, Liz admitted what Korag had done was admirable, something she never thought she'd say about the lecherous drunk. Then again, everything else seemed to go sideways in that snapshot of a time so why not have a pervert suddenly do something respectable? The Captain shook her head as she finally left the Coliseum. As expected, her recruit waited dutifully. "Good," Elizabeth commented by way of greeting, before motioning for Tiana to walk with her. "How are you holding up? I know what just happened hit close to home." Traces of concern could be found in her tone as she led to an elegantly understated carriage, decorated with blooming roses on the doors. Truth be told, while Liz understood the general reasoning for why her King did what he did, so publicly, she couldn't help but be disappointed given the repercussions for those involved. A blank expression rested on Tiana's face as she walked behind Elizabeth. "Haha, it's....alot to take in to say the least." she said, forcing a smile as she scratched the back of her head. Following Liz inside, she sat in the carriage, letting a deep, well-deserved sigh escape her lips. After her fight with Haruhi was over, she had felt her legs giving up on her but did not let others notice, acting as if she was all right. Now, after a well-earned victory, she got the rest she deserved, as the carriage began to move forward, slowly at first, until it took a constant, faster pace. Liz remained unconvinced; she decided not to push her on the subject, however. At the very least, Tiana seemed to relax a bit, heavy fatigue present in her body language. She noted that the girl did a good job of hiding it earlier. "It's a start." "Answer me this. What led you to choose my squad? If you don't mind walking me through your decision making process of course," Elizabeth commented, leaning back a bit as she nestled into her seat. Her storm blue gaze rested on Tiana while she waited for an answer. Tiana’s blank expression turned into one of surprise, even if it was for less than a second. Why was the captain asking her this all of a sudden? In any case, Tiana remained silent for a while, trying to phrase her answer properly. Her eyes met Liz’s and right there, she was able to formulate a response. “Your eyes.” She said, blatantly “When I looked at all the captains, your gaze called to me the most. I don’t know how to explain it, I guess you could call it a gut feeling.” Taking a pause, she crossed one leg over the other as her gaze diverted from Liz and to the window, her visage occupied by the changing landscape. “With all due respect, I am not sure I’m fit for this squad, making speeches or negotiating were never my kind of thing. But you must’ve seen something in me that I didn’t see in myself, and because of your eyes I trusted your decision.” It all came out rather calmly, as if she was talking to a friend she had known for a long time. Liz studied Tiana for a bit as she watched the girl's mind work. She smiled dryly. It seemed that Tia wasn't prepared for this; the question now was how the girl would respond, ad hoc. So she listened, measuring each word Tia chose, why she said what she said. Her smile widened a bit after Tiana finished. "My eyes you say? Good choice. They're a window to the soul and something that must be discerned, just like the words you hear someone speak. They help you find..inconsistencies and get a bit closer to the truth. Nonetheless, speeches and negotiations are a learned skill; talent and proclivity will only take you so far. Besides, you just demonstrated something important for any diplomat: ad hoc. Thinking on your feet is invaluable." Her own gaze turned to the passing landscape. "Feel free to rest a while. We have a ways to go before we reach our destination." "Got it." Tiana stated as she continued to look through the window, trying to occupy her mind off of the pressing issues with her family. Welcome to the Garden The carriage would slow down as they pulled up to an immaculate estate. Somehow, through painstaking design and more than a little magic, a building had been created which unfolded like a blooming rose. A blend of marble and other materials, it was nestled in the natural scenery around. Surrounding the structure was lush grass and plant life, functioning as the "bed" from which the rose was born. Elizabeth wondered, not for the first time, whose idea the estate was. Nonetheless, it was a marvel to behold, one she didn't tire of seeing. She turned her attention to a sleeping Tiana, noticing the girl's head resting against the window. At the very least, the worry creases faded away from Tia when at rest. She couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. No child should have to deal with such chaos in their home life, especially when it marred an otherwise joyous occasion. Liz tapped her lightly. "Wake up Tiana. We're here," she said, the carriage pulling to a complete stop. A few moments later, the door opened. "Ehhh~" Tiana managed to make an odd sound as she woke up from her slumber. She moved her head, which was previously resting against the window and her visage was met with the awe-inspiring architecture. She rubbed her eyes, as if to confirm the existence of such a place. The Kira's manor was truly a beautiful place but the base of operations of the Blue Rose was something else, at least from the outside. Tiana hopped out of the carriage, walking alongside Liz as she contemplated the nature that surrounded them. "It's a little extra for me, but it's..." she was unable to find a word as the building unfolded, she was out of words. Liz smiled. "It does take some getting used to. I thought they were joking when they described it on my own first ride over, but no, this is truly it," she responded. Once both had exited the carriage, she would lead Tiana down the path leading to the structure. "The gardens surrounding the rose are for more than show. We use them to grow our own food, storing the surplus for the winter time. In good harvests, we supply the rest to neighboring villages or sell them off to supplement our budget," she commented, adopting a tour guide demeanor. In the process, she would point out various fruits and vegetables as they traversed the space. She would catch one of her Blue Rose subordinates working in one of them. "Still trying your hand at carrots Griselda?" Liz asked. The purple-haired woman turned, the bottom of her sun dress caked with dirt. "Yes, and they will grow this time! They won't be the runt ones you saw before. Nope, they will be orange glories!" came the triumphant response before the woman paused, realizing who she was speaking too. She set her garden hoe aside. "I see you're back already Captain; with a recruit in tow no less. Griselda Baratheon. You are?" She extended a hand to Tiana before realizing she still had a garden glove on. Gris quickly peeled off before extending her hand again. Tiana listened intently to Elizabeth, attempting to pay attention to her every word but was distracted by the vegetation that surrounded them. Before she realized it, they stood in front of a peculiar, purple-haired girl. She introduced herself to Tiana rather promptly, which surprised the latter for a second. "Tiana." she paused looking down at her hand as she shook it. "Tiana Kira." she finished with a smile. "Oh ho ho, so you managed to pull a Kira," Griselda commented, "then again, this is you we're talking about Captain." She then refocused on Tiana. "Nice to meet you Tia. Expect to become good friends with this garden. Everyone puts in hours; even the Captain and VC. Otherwise, we couldn't keep this natural, glorious mess going. And no, we don't use just magic either; that would be cheap. So expect some bulging Bis and Tris after a few weeks of this." She flexed, revealing lean, yet potent muscle. Liz raised an eyebrow, faintly amused. "That's enough Griselda; don't terrify the poor recruit on her first day," she said, steering Tiana towards the building once more, "we'll see you later." With that, the two would walk to the entryway of the structure, before Liz opened the door. "The others should be here shortly." “So this is the new recruit!” A loud voice would bang through the room, an overwhelmingly heat along with it. Walking through the door was a tall woman, she walked with confidence as she approached the blue rose captain and her trainee. “Nice to meet you, Tiana. I don’t know if you know this, but your father and I go way back, ever since we fought together all those years ago!” The woman said, the two would become gradually hotter as she moved closer. “I’m Osiria, and you’ll soon find out, I’m not always this bubbly!” Osiria said, now emanating more heat as she held out her hand to the young Kira. Liz frowned at the emphatic noise. "How many times have I told you to use an inside voice Osiria? You'll cause the place to crash at this rate. And turn down the heat a little; I'd prefer if we weren't in a sauna right now," she commented as her vice captain drew closer. She turned to Tiana, tacking on a little more to Osiria's introduction. "This is Osiria Roselei; vice captain of the Blue Rose. Ria, this is Tiana Kira, newest member of the Blue Rose. I'm certain you knew that already, however." The captain shook her head in exasperation as their immediate vicinity only grew hotter. “I didn’t actually…” Tiana said scratching the back of her head as she forced a laugh. She then noticed, Osiris’ outstretched hand and shook it, feeling the warmth emanating from it. Her eyes opened promptly, as she began to feel the air around her heat up, causing sweat drops to trickle down her temples. “Oh, you knew my father…” she looked down at her feet for a moment, losing herself in her own mind, before an even greater quantity of heat brought her back to the real world. “So you’ve fought with him? Then you must be one of hell of a magic knight.” She said with a grin, before stepping away from her, hoping that it would reduce the heat. "She is, as long as she doesn't burn down our headquarters or freeze shit solid," a new voice quipped. It belonged to the senior magic knight Eve. "You really have to turn down that shit Vice Captain, nobody asked for a sauna." She walked towards the little group before examining the new arrival. "So this is the new pipsqueak huh....she seems alright." Eve stuck out a hand, edging away from the heat lamp. "Name's Eve. Nice to meet ya." Tiana turned her head to the side as she caught sight of the approaching person. A relatively young woman with orange hair, her features were soft and to be honest, her beauty was unmatched, at least in Tiana’s eyes. Which was why she gave the woman a look that subtly hinted her jealousy, before her eyes moved to her bosom. ‘’T-those are huge’’ she thought, crossing her arms over her own chest. Tiana had just recently fought a battle against a powerful examinee, but nothing had hurt more than Eve’s arrival. “Nice to meet you. Tiana Kira.” She said quietly, her eyes on the ground as she extended her hand. "Eh?" Eve didn't miss the envious look, before watching Tiana's eyes widen slightly as the girl's gaze shifted downwards. "She's one of those huh..." Eve thought as her smile became a smirk. "Eyes up here little girl," she started, before receiving a warning glare from Liz. She then shook Tiana's hand. "Cheer up, you still got growing left to do. Besides," she pinched the new recruit's cheeks, "envy ain't a good look for you." Liz watched this unfold, shaking her head once more. "Stop toying with the recruit Eve." Eve's smirk intensified. "It builds character." “Shit!” Tiana exclaimed in pain, rubbing her reddened cheeks softly as she took a few steps back. ‘’I guess I’m still damaged over that fight…damn.’’ She thought to herself as her gaze met Eve’s. She remained in silence for a bit, her cheeks still reddened, although most of it was from embarrassment, something many believed Tiana not to have. “I-I’m not envious, alright?!” She said, recovering. Eve grinned even as she felt her Captain radiate with irritation. "A little cheek pinch hurt that much? Want me to kiss it and make it better pipsqueak?" she continued, egging the girl on a bit. "You gonna say I imagined that stare?" Eve stepped closer to the recruit, her generous cleavage within easy eyeshot of Tiana. At this point, Liz had it. "ENOUGH." Eve stopped as she felt her Captain's magic filter through the space. "Fine.....I was just testing her. Jeez." She started to turn back the way she came. A little after Eve's departure, Clara came walking from afar towards her captain as she waved at her. "Good afternoon, Captain, how was the exam?" she asks Elizabeth after she approached her. Liz shook her head at Eve's antics before turning at the sound. "There you are Clara. They went well, thank you for asking," she responded warmly. The Captain then nudged Tiana forward. "I'd like you to meet our newest recruit." "Oh, you're the recruit that captain brought in from the exam, I'm very pleased to be called Clara Luster, and you're called ?", Clara asks after introducing herself. Pipsqueak. The nickname resounded in Tiana’s head, along with an image of Eve, looking down at her, teasingly. And it annoyed her to no avail. “Oh you fucking asked for it,” magical energy began to quickly form into a compass beneath her feet, with the needle pointing straight at Eve. “I’ll kick your ass seven ways to Sund-“ As she bent down, Instead of propelling her forward, it appeared that Tiana’s mana and body had betrayed her as she fell into the ground with a loud thud, which was followed by the voice of her Captain. Captain. That word still had a strange ring to it. Dusting herself off as she stood up, Tiana gave Eve, a sneering gaze, whispering something to herself before she felt Elizabeth introducing her to another member. “I’m Tiana.” She stated bluntly, before turning to Liz. “Elizabeth, is there anyone else I have to meet? Or are we done here, I’m pretty freaking exhausted.” Liz raised an eyebrow at the fall, and the sneer. She sensed a there was to be a fight in the future. "That was the last of them," she commented, shaking her head yet again. She then headed deeper into the building. "Follow me Tiana. I'll show you to where you're staying, and you'll have a few hours to rest. Then, we'll be off to our next excursion."